


Married by Forty (9) - I do! I do! I do!

by Fleppy85



Series: Married by forty [9]
Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:00:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24997987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fleppy85/pseuds/Fleppy85
Summary: A killer, who imagined he's a mix between the devil and a vampire. Sara and Sofia have to stop him. And while Sara is already forty, Sofia's birthday is up and there's a promise to keep...
Series: Married by forty [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1809649





	Married by Forty (9) - I do! I do! I do!

Part 1

„I knew black is your color but since when do you wear it in your face, lieutenant.“ Sara tried to hide a wide grin when she saw Sofia. The blonde had a black eye and the rest of her appearance seemed to be a little bit messed up too. A button on her shirt was missing, the light blue shirt was mixed with something brownish-red, probably blood and a her pants were torn from the knee down.   
“And Jim should show you how to dress up as a lieutenant. You know, you are a representative of this city, what will all the concerned tax paying civilians think when they see you like this?”  
“That I work my ass off for their safety and do that regardless of the personal consequences for me. Will you stop teasing me, I had enough on my way to here, my colleagues think it’s pretty funny how I look and they’re really sorry that’s only the lower part of the pants that’s torn and not my shirt.” Sofia grumbled and sat down. She needed a coffee and a hug and not all the mock she got already.   
“Can’t blame them for that. They won’t have a chance to see a beautiful woman like you half naked every day.”  
“Stop sucking up that doesn’t work today.”  
“Who’s the Grumpy Smurf.” Sara gave Sofia a cup of coffee and sat next to her. She placed a hand on the hand of the lieutenant. Usually she’d have been very concerned when she saw Sofia like this. But Brass had called her to tell her first that nothing bad had happened to Sofia and second the ego of the blonde was injured. Sara had asked twice if her friend was really alright and after that she was ready to tease Sofia the next time she saw her with the black eye and her torn clothes.   
“What happened?”  
“I’m sure you heard the story.”  
“I’m not interested in the story of some officers, I want to hear the truth from my favorite lieutenant.”  
“Bastard started to fight, he was pretty good. Got my nose, I thought first it’s broken because of all the blood but the doc said it’s alright. He punched me a black eye and ripped off a button. That was after I kicked the broken bottle out of his hands. The bottle is the reason why I get more air in my pants than I want.”  
“Where was your gun?”  
“Lost it to his partner, he held a gun to my head and gave me the opportunity to die or to give him my gun. I made the decision to give him my gun. When he wanted to put it away, Jim shot him and his partner started the fight with me. Unfortunately Jim had no time for a second shot, another man of these lovely gang members kept him busy.”  
“But you are okay? Besides the black eye?” Okay, maybe Sara was worried a little bit. It had sounded funny when Jim had told her how Sofia looked. After she had heard the story to that she didn’t think it was funny anymore. Her friend had been in serious danger.   
“Yeah, a little headache, some bruises, nothing serious. I’ll go home now, take some pills for the head and clean myself up.”  
“You want me to join you?”  
“You’re working, finish your job. I’ll be fine, no need to worry.”  
“Okay but give me a call if you need something, will you?”  
“Sure. Thanks for the coffee.” Sofia gave Sara the empty cup.  
“Sofia?”  
“Mhm?” The lieutenant stopped in front of the door.   
“I’m glad you’re fine.”  
“Me too. You know I’m not that easy to shock, don’t worry.”  
“I always worry about you.”  
“I worry about you, we’re even.” She blinked at Sara and left.   
As soon as she was out of sight and far enough that Sara couldn’t hear her anymore, Sofia groaned. She hadn’t told her friend the whole truth. Her leg had been stitched and it hurt. The next few days Sofia wouldn’t be able to run and she had the feeling, the first shower later would be very painful with all the water in the wound. The bruised shoulder would make her sleep for the next two or three nights on the left side and there was the beep in her ears from the shot Jim had fired to kill the man who was about to kill her. She could still hear the bullet flying only inches next to her head and entering the skull of the man behind her. No, this wasn’t an easy night, this was night that would be for a few nights in Sofia’s mind. 

“You don’t look good lieutenant.”  
“You greeted me nicer, investigator.”   
“Are you alright?” Sara hadn’t seen Sofia since she had left work earlier the night before. She didn’t want to wake the lieutenant up and when Sara had gotten up. Sofia was already back in the department, taking with her Undersheriff and giving another statement.   
“Yeah, fine. Better than the woman over there.” She pointed to the middle of the street where a woman was lying.   
Sara looked to the body and up. It seemed like the woman did jump from the bridge and that the fall from twenty yards killed her.   
“Anything that suggests she was killed not by jumping?”  
“From the first look I had? No. But I couldn’t really see a lot. Got the street closed fifty yards in each direction and the whole bridge. You know what that means.”  
“Work fast as soon as the morning is there hundred of cars will be waiting, honking, drivers will yell and swear and the major will not be very happy.”  
“I love politics.”  
“So do I. Good luck, I’ll check for traffic cameras.”  
“Hey lieutenant?”  
“Yes?”  
“I’d like to see you for breakfast.”  
“Maybe we can work out a meeting. I’ll see you later.”  
“Later.” Sara walked to the body. Greg was already there with David.   
“Hey guys.”  
“Hi Sara.”  
“Can you tell me anything else than we’ve a vic who thought she can fly and was so deadly wrong?”  
“I can tell you she wasn’t good at flying.”  
“Anything that suggests she was forced to jump or pushed?”  
“I haven’t turned her yet.” David looked at Greg. “Ready to do so?”  
“Sure.” Carefully they turned the woman.  
“Oh shit.” Sara mumbled.  
“You know her?” David asked concerned.  
“It’s the niece of the Sheriff. I saw her a few weeks ago when she came with him through the department. She wanted to join the law enforcement.”  
“Sofia will love this phone call.” Greg said feeling sorry for his friend.  
“We will love to investigate this case, the Sheriff will be all over us. I’ll call Sofia and Grissom.” With a last look on the body of the woman she turned away and got her cell out.   
“What’s up, Sara?”  
“Sofia, I think you might want to come back to the body.”  
“Why? I’m trying to…”  
“I know, believe me, you want to be here and you have to make an important phone call.”  
“Sara, what is it.”  
“Come here.” Sara ended the call and dialed Grissom’s number. She knew he was somewhere in Henderson working on a 419.   
“Grissom.”  
“It’s Sara. Our suicide is a problem, Gil.”  
“Why’s that?”  
“It’s the niece of the Sheriff.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Positive.” Sara turned when Greg’s hand touched her shoulder. He held a wallet in his hand and had the driver’s license out. Sara nodded thankful.   
“Greg handed me the wallet, the license says it’s Julia Bush, that’s his niece. She was in the department a few weeks ago, the Sheriff showed her around, she wanted to join the law enforcement after college.”  
“Anybody called the Sheriff?”  
“Sofia is on her way to here, I can see her. You think she should call the Sheriff first and then the parents?”  
“What do you think?”  
“First the Sheriff.”  
“He won’t like it the other way around.”  
“He won’t like anything of this here and he’ll request you.”  
“No, he won’t. He’ll insist that I take you case over.”  
“That’s fine with me. Just wanted to warn you.”  
“Thanks. I’ll see that Nick can go on alone and then I’ll come to you guys.”  
“Alright, see you later.” Sara closed her cell. Sofia had reached her, was obvious annoyed.  
“Sara, why couldn’t you tell me…” She stopped when Sara handed her the wallet and the license.  
“Julia Bush? Do I know her?”  
“She’s the niece of the Sheriff.”  
“Shit.”  
“Yes. I called Grissom, I’m sure the Sheriff wants him to be primary. I thought you’d prefer to know who she is face to face and not on the phone while you deal with something else.”  
“Thanks. Sorry to be…rude.”  
“You weren’t. You’re under pressure and this won’t make it easier.”  
“No. I guess I’ve to call the Sheriff and the parents. You’ve got a phone number of the parents?”  
“Greg, do you have a cell phone?”  
“No, not in her pockets not in this area.” Greg looked around.   
“A young woman without a cell phone? Something is wrong with this.” Sara said.   
“Maybe she left it at home because she wanted to kill herself.”  
“But she took her wallet? With money? I doubt that.”  
“It’s odd. Okay, I call the Sheriff, he can give me the number of his…sister?”  
“Yes, it’s the sister.”  
“This night means a lot of trouble.” Sofia rubbed her face.  
“Headache?”  
“A little bit.”  
“I’ve a pill with me.” Sara opened her kit and gave Sofia a pill.  
“A new standard edition? With medicine?”  
“I call it the emergency kit in the kit.”  
“What else is inside?”  
“A bar of chocolate you’ll get after the call.”  
Sofia smiled a little bit. “Thanks Sara.” She felt even more guilty for being annoyed in the first place when Sara called her to come back to the body. She should know her friend well enough to know Sara would never call her for no reason. It seemed like her headache was interfering with her brain and the ability to think.   
“You’re welcome.” Sara stroke her hand over Sofia’s arm and turned back to the body. It was time to process the scene and the body. Even if Grissom had to take over later it was no reason to wait until he was here. The sooner they started to investigate the sooner they would find the killer or the evidence for the suicide. 

Gil had arrived at the scene an hour later and so had the Sheriff. Sara was very happy when Gil sent her back to the lab to see Doc Robbins. She preferred to be in the morgue than out at the scene with the Sheriff on her back.   
“You’re here for the first priory case.”  
“It is already the first priority?” Sara wasn’t really surprised.   
“Yes. I had to stop all other autopsies and start with her. The niece of the Sheriff.”  
“Julia Bush, twenty.”  
“What did the crime scene tell you?”  
“That I doubt she committed suicide. Do you know any twenty year old woman who leaves the house with a wallet full of money and no cell phone?”  
“I don’t know any young woman who hasn’t got a closer relationship to her cell phone than to her boyfriend. I take from your comment she was without her cell phone.”  
“Yes. If it was a robbery gone bad why did the killer not take the wallet? She had over hundred dollar in her wallet. And some credit cards.”  
“I can’t answer you that but I can tell you, I agree on your theory that she didn’t committed suicide. There are some defensive wounds on her hands and lower arms.” He pointed on light bruises. “I scratched the fingernails and sent everything to traces.”  
“Thanks.”  
“There are some light bruises on her throat, it looks like somebody wanted to strangle her.”  
“Did you get enough for a print?”  
“No, I can’t tell you the exact size of the hand either.”  
“Was she already dead on the bridge or did the fall kill her?”  
“Not the fall, the landing.” Doc Robbins smiled a little bit and Sara chuckled.   
“Okay, did the landing kill her?”  
“Yes. Several broken bones and a she broker her neck when crashed on the street. She wasn’t hit by a car.”  
“No, the next car driver could stop in front of her.”  
“Did they see anything?”  
“I don’t think so, Sofia didn’t mention anything.”  
“I know the bridge, it’s not a high traffic area out there. You push somebody down and run, chances are high nobody sees you. Especially when nobody was driving towards the bridge to see the struggle. As soon as the body hits the ground the attention of the people is on the body and not on the killer on the bridge.”  
“Yeah. Anything else you can tell me?”  
“I haven’t open her up, so all I can tell you is, she died of her broken neck after she hit the street, there are defensive wounds and strangle marks on her throat.”  
“Sexual assaulted?”  
“Can’t tell you yet. Her clothes weren’t torn.”  
“No, she looked like she jumped.”  
“Who’s talking to the parents?”  
“Grissom.”  
“The Sheriff will be there and won’t make it easy for him.”  
“He’ll soon be here too and ask you a lot of questions.”  
“That’s why I’ll get started now. I call you if I get something new.”  
“Thanks.”   
She left the morgue and walked back in the lab.   
“Sara?” Wendy called her name.  
“Yeah?”  
“I’ve the first results of the fingerprints.”  
“That was fast.”  
“Got told to stop everything else. A relative of the Sheriff?”  
“His niece.”  
“Ouch.”  
“What do you have?”  
“Greg brought the fingerprints from the railing, most of the are hers. One belonged to somebody else. I have it in DNA at the moment and let it run through IAFIS.”  
“Good.” Sara’s cell phone rang.   
“Sidle.”  
“It’s Grissom. Are you still in the lab?”  
“Yes.”  
“Can you get over to the interview rooms? Sofia is talking with the witness. We need their prints and a shoeprint. Greg got a shoeprint from the bridge.”  
“I’ll do that.”  
“Thanks. Bye.”  
“See you later.” She got her kit and walked to the interview room. Sofia was waiting outside the room, drinking a coffee. She looked tired.  
“You look bad. Is it still the head?”  
“No, no more headache thanks to you. Sore muscles. You got anything we need?”  
“Wendy is running prints and Grissom asked to get the prints of your witness and a shoeprint. Greg found a shoeprint on the bridge.”  
“You think they killed her?”  
“You talked to them, tell me.”  
“See for yourself.”  
“Who are they?”  
“Young couple, came from a night on the Strip. They’re from Los Angeles, why should they come over to kill Julia Bush?”  
“Does the Sheriff know them?”  
“I asked him, he said no.”  
“The parents?”  
“Also not.”  
“Was it very bad to talk with them?”  
“I couldn’t really talk, most of the time the Sheriff was talking. The parents are sure their daughter didn’t committed suicide.”  
“So is Doc Robbins. There were defensive wounds and somebody strangled her. Did she have a boyfriend?”  
“Not according to the parents.”  
“A best friend?”  
“I’ve got the name and the address. Want to join me there?”  
“When will you go there?”  
Sofia looked at her watch. “After we talked to the witnesses. It’s Wednesday, we should get the friend before she goes to college. She works in a bakery from six to nine during the week.”  
Sara knew there was no real reason for her to join Sofia, the lieutenant could do that alone but she wanted to be with Sofia to make sure her friend was alright. The shooting yesterday was still visible in her face.   
“We are so up for breakfast.” Sara whispered.  
A small smile appeared on Sofia’s face. “I’m afraid it will be more a lunch.”  
“Doesn’t matter, but you won’t go home alone today, lieutenant.”  
“Sounds like a promise.”  
“It is. I think you need to talk.”  
“Later. Let’s get this over.” Sofia opened the door for Sara.   
“Mister DeBlanch, Miss Bryan, thanks for coming in.” Sofia took a seat in front of the man. “This is Sara Sidle with the crime lab. We’re sorry to bother you more.”  
“A woman died, I think this not as bad as being dead.” DeBlanch said. He was small, maybe 5 foot 7, very thin and in his late twenties.   
“True. Can you tell me again what happened?”  
“We were celebrating in a few clubs on the Strip, left the last one around three. We walked to our car, we parked behind the Flamingo. We drove, our motel is further out, talked and out of the blue was the woman on the street.”  
“Did you see her fall?”  
“No, she was already lying on the street.”  
“Did you see anybody around?”  
“No. There was a car coming towards us from the other direction, I turned on the emergency flasher, Melissa jumped out and waved so that the car stopped. I checked her pulse and we called 911.”  
“The people from the other car used their emergency flasher too so that nobody would run her over.” Bryan said. She was smaller than her boyfriend, 5 foot 5 and in her early twenties. Sofia had all the personal dates written down. Also of the people in the other car, who were waiting for her in another room.   
“Do you know why she jumped? She seemed to be so young.”  
“We’re not sure she jumped.” Sara said.  
“What? You think somebody…somebody…killed her? Pushed her?”  
“We try to find that out. We could need your fingerprints to eliminate you as suspects.”  
“And your shoeprints.”  
“Why is that?” DeBlanch asked.  
“We found a print at the scene and need to know if it’s yours or from somebody else.”  
“If somebody pushed her, this person wasn’t on the street…wait, you think, we killed her?”  
“No I don’t, but I have to get your prints to have evidence that you didn’t kill her.”   
“Honey, it’s alright.” Bryan took the hand of her boyfriend. “What do we have to do?”  
“It’s easy, we have this computer, you press your fingers on it and we’ve your prints.” Sara explained. “You won’t get dirty fingers like a few years ago. And for the shoeprint I’ll roll some color over your shoe sole and you step on a piece of paper and we’re done.”   
“Sounds not difficult.”   
“It isn’t.” Sara got the fingerprint scanner out of her kit and made it ready for the first set of prints. 

“Get a shower.”  
“What?”  
“Go and get a shower.” Sara pushed Sofia towards her bathroom.   
“But…”  
“Don’t argue with me. Go in the shower, now!” Sara waited until Sofia was in the bathroom then she started to make something to eat. It was almost noon, time for a brunch. She made some eggs, toast, got cheese and salami on a tray and carried everything in her bedroom where she found Sofia looking for some clothes.   
“Start eating, I’ll have a shower.”  
“If I wouldn’t know it better I’d say we’re in the middle of a relationship fight.” Sofia smiled.   
“Your food gets cold.” Sara grabbed her sleep shirt and a boxer short and left.   
“Yes, that looks definitely like a fight.” Sofia sighed and got into Sara’s bed and started eating her egg with salami. She had no idea why there was no reason for a fight. They had worked together the whole morning without any problems. None Sofia could think of.  
Five minutes later Sara was back and got in her bed too.  
“You gonna tell me what I did wrong? Or why you act like we’re having a fight.”  
“When did you plan to tell me about your leg? You had more than a few bruises and the doctor told you not too work last night and keep it slow the next nights.”  
“Did you have a look in my private file?”  
“No.”  
“How do you know all these things?”  
“Your doc left a message when I was in your office, waiting for you.”  
“Sara, I’m fine, I…”  
“Stop lying to me, Sofia. You’re not fine.”  
“If you go on like this I won’t be fine, no.”  
“You need a break.”  
Sofia shook her head and put the tray aside. She got out of bed and grabbed her jeans.  
“What are you doing?”  
“I don’t need a mother or a guardian who tells me what I have to do or what I need to do. I don’t have a head for that. Thanks for brunch but I think I’ll go home and get some sleep. I’ll see you tonight…”  
“Sofia…”  
“No, Sara. I really don’t have a head for that now.”  
Sara got out of bed, walked to Sofia and pulled her in her arms. First the blonde tried to get out but as soon as she was in Sara’s arms she held on snuggled deeper in the brunettes arms.   
“I’m sorry. Come back to bed. Please.”  
“No more fights? And I don’t have to explain myself?”  
“I promise.”  
“Okay.” Sofia got out of her jeans and took Sara’s hand.   
“I didn’t want to tell you what you have to do…”  
“You worry about me, I know. But I’m alright. I wanted to work. Jim can’t work because of this stupid rule you have to be cleared after you shot somebody. Yes, I do have a headache and yes, I got stitches because the guy got me with a broken bottle. Nothing nice but nothing to worry about.”  
“I do worry about you; especially after a night like last night.”  
“You forgot that I’m a tough lieutenant?”  
“You’re a bad ass cop, I know. But you’re a sensitive woman too. I worry about the woman.” Sara stroke Sofia’s arm.   
“In that case take the woman in your arm and hold her while she gets some sleep. You could use some sleep too. We’ll be back for some work soon. The Sheriff won’t give us a lot of sleep.”  
“I know.” Sara took Sofia in her arms. “I’m really sorry for being snappy.”  
“You worried. I kind of like it when you worry about me. It shows you care a bit for me.”  
“You say anything stupid again as the last sentence I’ll bite off your ear.” Sara grumbled and got her mouth close to Sofia’s ear. “Care a bit. Understatement of the year.”  
“A little bit more…ouch….you bitch pinched me!”  
“You bitch deserved that.”  
“We should sleep before I’ve to restrain you for assaulting a lieutenant.”  
“In your dreams you might able to do so. Sleep tight, Blondie, four more days and we’ll have a day off.”  
“Finally.”  
“Birthday night.”  
“Don’t destroy my happiness.”  
“The forty won’t hurt you.”  
“You must know, you are that old…ouch! Stop that.”  
“You say nasty things you get punished for it. One more sentence like that and I’ll tickle you for five minutes.”  
“You’ll kill me this way.”  
“There’s always a small sacrifice to make.”  
“I should uninvited you from my party.”  
“Stop the threats, I don’t believe them. Sleep now, Sofia.”  
“I’m not sure if I can sleep here…if I can trust you.”  
“Give me one good reason why you should feel like being in danger.” Sara closed her eyes and rested her hand on Sofia’s side.  
“Your hand is at a place that’s very ticklish.”  
“How possible is it that I make you jump and kick instead of sleeping?”  
“Not very.”  
“See. Good night.”  
“Night Sara. I’m glad you made me stay.”  
“Me too.”

“Misses Conrad?” Sofia and Sara didn’t talk to the best friend of Julia Bush in the morning. The young woman wasn’t at her workplace and also not at home.   
“Yes?” Now they were standing in front of the little apartment Lyn Conrad was living and a young woman in sweat pants and long sleeves opened the door.   
“I am lieutenant Curtis, this is Sara Sidle with the crime lab, we need to talk to you.”  
“What? Why?”  
“May we come in?” The door of the apartment next door got open. Sofia hated curious neighbors.   
“Sure.” She let the two women in and closed to door behind them. The apartment wasn’t more than a bigger room. A kitchenette on the left, a bed on the right and in the middle a table with two chairs. A small TV stood on a shelf and a books were all over the place.   
“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect visitors.”  
“That’s fine.”  
“Is it…because of this morning? Do they send you because of this morning?”  
“What happened this morning and who are they?” Sara asked friendly. The young woman was scared and Sara couldn’t see a reason why. She and Sofia weren’t what people would call threatening cops.   
“The company…”  
“Why should they send us?”  
“Because I…I told them I’m ill.”  
“And you are not.” Sara fulfilled the sentence.   
“No.”  
“Where have you been?” Sofia asked.  
“We are not here because your company asked us.” Sara told the woman before she got even more scared.  
“Thanks god, I really need the job.”  
“So where have you been?”  
“We were out last night and I met this really cute guy…he has a villa, a pool and well…I came home around eight, he ordered breakfast to the pool. I never had breakfast at a pool. I felt bad when I called in and lied to them but I didn’t want to leave him. He might be the one.”  
“You mentioned ‘we’ were out. Who is we?”  
“Julia and me. We’re friends since kindergarten.”  
“Did Julia also meet a nice guy yesterday?”  
“Jules? No, she met this guy last weekend and met him.”  
“You don’t happen to know his name?”  
“Why do you want to know that? Why do you ask all these questions? Why are you here?”  
“I’m sorry to tell you, your friend Julia Bush was found dead this morning.” Sofia said. Why was it always her job to say these words?   
“What? Jules? No, that can’t be. You must have made a mistake.”  
“No, we didn’t. Her parents told us your name, you were her best friend…”  
“Jules…” She sank on her bed and started crying. Sofia looked helpless to Sara. It wasn’t the job of the investigator to calm down a witness, all Sara was here for was collecting evidence if there was something.   
“Miss Conrad, we need to ask you question so that we can find out what happened to your friend.” Sara tried carefully.   
“What…how did she die?”  
“She was found dead on a street in the south of the city. Was that the area you were having a party?”  
“No, we were in the Mandalay. Jules…she left around two.”  
“What can you tell us about the man she met?”  
“I don’t know. She called him Lived, a strange name. I think it’s a kind of nick name.”  
“Have you seen Lived before?”  
“No. She was out alone when she met him. I saw him the first time yesterday.”  
“Can you describe him?”  
“He’s tall, like six foot two or three. Slim, long black hair, well trained and…I don’t know.”  
“You don’t know what?”  
“He was creepy.”  
“In what way?”  
“He was dressed all in black. That’s not unusual, but he had this pendant and said, he had blood in it. He ordered a shot at midnight and let something red drop in it. I thought it’s a cheap show, you know, this vampire hype at the moment, but he was…he was creepy. I mean he didn’t have this long teeth, but he never smiled and his eyes were so cold. I felt very uncomfortable around him.”  
“What about Julia?”  
“She loved that. She said, he’s exciting and full of mystery. She was into this stuff, vampires, witches, black and white magic. The only point we couldn’t agree on. Did he kill her? Did he hurt her?”  
“We don’t know. Do you have any idea where the Lived lives?”  
“No.”  
“Where did she meet him?”  
“Upside down 999.”  
“What is that?” Sara asked.  
“It’s an underground club.” Sofia told her. She had been in there a few times because of drugs. “Turn the 999 around and you know the theme.”  
“666, the number of the beast.”  
“Yes. Miss Conrad, can you tell us anything else about Lived?”  
“No. I tried not to talk to him, he wasn’t interested in me. He stared at Julia the whole time and she liked it. I left them after midnight when I met Jared on the dance floor and Julia said good bye around two. She didn’t tell me where she wanted to go, I assumed she’d go home but when you found her south…she lives…lived in the north.”  
“We know.”  
“You think he…”  
“We don’t know.” Sofia gave Melissa Conrad her card. “Please give me a call if you remember anything else or if you find out anything about Lived.”  
“I will…do you think I should see her parents?”  
“I’m sure they’d appreciate that.” Sofia and Sara left the apartment.   
“What do you think?” Sofia asked when they were back in the car.  
“I think Lived is a man we should talk to.”  
“I doubt it’s a real name.”  
Sara got a notepad and a pen out and gave it to Sofia. “Write his name down.”  
“What?”  
“Write his name down.”   
Sofia did as she was told.   
“And now?”  
“Now you write it again but backwards.”  
“What…?”  
“Please.”  
Sofia started writing. D E V I L. “Devil.”  
“Like 999, you look at it from another side and get another meaning. And ‘lived’ the past tense of live. ‘Lived’ is devil and when you lived, you’re dead. I think we should really talk to this man.”  
“You would be such a great detective.” Sofia smiled.  
“I am such a great CSI.” Sara responded.   
“You are. Want to go to a black, dark, sadistic club with me?”  
“We go to Heathers? Cool.”  
“I wish. Unfortunately your friend won’t be a help here.”  
“You are quite friendly with her too, lieutenant.”  
“I’ve no other choice, you get me to meet her all the time.”  
“Don’t blame me, you always join me.”  
“Can’t let you go there alone. Imagine one of Heather’s clients likes you and tries to get you in his room.”  
“I’ll kick his balls and he’ll be happy when I leave immediately.”  
“You’d do that, I know. The problem is, he might like that and wants you exactly to do that. But I know you know how to help yourself.”  
“So do you.” Sara looked out of the window. “Where are we?”  
“A block away from ‘Down Under 999’, the place to be.”  
“Don’t we have to wear black for that establishment?”  
“They see your black soul and you’ll be the queen.”  
“Very funny.” Sara shot the evil eyes to Sofia and got out of the car. The sun was gone and the night started to take over Las Vegas.   
“Control, this is lieutenant Curtis, can we get two officers to 352 Bender Road please? Thanks.”  
“Back-up?”  
“We don’t know what is waiting for us. Better safe than sorry.”  
“Make sure your CSI is safe.”  
“I do. Got your gun loaded?”  
“Yes.” Sara checked it again to show Sofia and make her friend feel better. She knew, the lieutenant wanted to be extra sure.   
“Will we kill the devil?”  
“If we have no other choice or God tells us so, we will.”  
“We are not playing a kind of holy war, do we?”  
“No. I hope we can have a lovely talk to the devil and he’ll confess, we get him in and be the heroines of the day.”  
“I like that dream.”  
“So do I.”

“How was your trip in the underground?” Grissom asked when Sara was back in the lab.  
“Dark. There are a lot of people around who think they are vampires or a twin brother of the devil.”  
“Did you find the devil?”  
“According to the bartender there is nobody called ‘Lived’ around. It’s a nice club and nobody does anything illegal.”  
“You believed him of course.”  
“I told him the cocaine on the toilette is even in Las Vegas illegal and the minors should leave very fast or the club is closed before midnight which would be a shame. Most of their customers wake up around that time.”  
“He could remember Lived then?”  
“Said he hasn’t seen a guy who looks like Lived since two days. Has no idea where he lives and what his real name is. Sofia left an officer around.”  
“I’m sure somebody has called the unknown person and he won’t show up.”  
“I’m afraid it will be like that.”  
“Maybe this will help.” He handed her a piece of paper.   
“What’s that?”  
“A fingerprint we found at the scene. Ronald Frame, aka The Beast aka Lucifer.”  
“666 – the number of the beast, Lucifer, Devil. This guy likes to be the bad boy.” She looked at the photo. Long black hair, like Melissa had said.   
“Do you think he looks creepy?”  
“Creepy? Why?”  
“Julia Bush’s friend said the man Julia dated the night she died was creepy. And he had long black hair, like this guy. In the club we were most men had long black hair.”  
“You don’t like men with long black hair?” Grissom chuckled.   
“Black is beautiful, gray can be very sexy. You sent this photo out?”  
“Sofia should be on her way to Melissa Conrad to make sure it’s the same man Julia Bush met yesterday.” He ignored her comment about gray hair but Sara had seen the little sparkle in his eyes. They weren’t lovers anymore, they had never been lovers in public but they still liked thinking of their time together. None of them regretted it. I didn’t work out but that was no reason not to be friends.   
“How is the Sheriff?”  
“He was here all day, they had to go on working on our case. He wants the killer until the morning.”  
“Means he put pressure on Ecklie who puts pressure on you.” Sara rolled her eyes. She hated politics and playing with power. It wasn’t like they were sitting around, doing nothing and playing cards while a killer was on the loose.   
“Are you waiting for your part of the pressure.”  
“Yes.”  
“I won’t give you any.” He smiled. “I know you do the best you can.”  
“You never do what they expect you to do. I’m sure Ecklie had some nice ideas for me, getting me in trouble for not working hard enough, not following procedure or being impolite to anybody important.”  
“You called me right after you found out who the victim was. They can’t blame you for not contacting your supervisor. Until I was at the scene you and Greg took perfectly care of the scene and secured the evidence we might have lost if you had waited for me. I can’t see anything they can blame you for, Sara.”  
“There’s always something if you look for it.”  
“Are you looking for trouble?”  
“No, I’ll try to out of trouble for a months or so.”  
“You should do that.”  
“That’s all? Aren’t you suppose to tell me I’ll lose my job if I don’t change myself?”  
“I am a very bad boss.”  
“The worst. I go and see if Greg needs some help; if I’m allowed to leave.”  
“Don’t forget to tell me when you leave the lab or call somebody…always ask if I’m happy what you do.”  
“Am I allowed to drink a coffee?”  
“Yes, it will keep you awake and alert.”  
Sara chuckled. In that case she’d drink coffee. All for the job. 

Part 2

“Ready to see hell?” Sofia asked.   
“Hell?”  
“It’s the place the devil lives, isn’t it?” They were at the apartment where Ronald Frame lived according to their files. It was a house in the west of the city, not the best area and most people try to vanish quickly when they see the police. Sofia had talked to Melissa Conrad and she had recognized Ronald Frame as the new boyfriend of Julia Bush. That was a connection between the dead woman and the strange man. Now they needed to talk to him.   
“It is.”  
“See.” Sofia knocked on the door, her weapon ready. “Ronald Frame? LVPD, open up.” No reactions. She repeated the knock and the call and ordered the locksmith to open the door for her and step aside. With two officers she got in the apartment. Sara waited outside until she heard the “Clear”.   
The apartment was a mess. A dark mess. All walls were painted in black, red crosses were hung upside down, diabolic symbol were painted on some walls, some were standing around as decoration. Empty bottles of alcohol and cigarettes, most self made cigarettes were on the floor, on the furniture.   
“The dream of every landlord.” Sara said dryly.   
“I’d love to have him as a flat mate. We agree on the color.”  
“I don’t recall black as the color of your apartment.”  
“It should, it makes it dangerous.”  
“No, it doesn’t. Hell, that’s a mess here.” Sara was glad to wear gloves.   
“Can I use your kit?”  
“Sure.”   
Sara came over to Sofia who opened Sara’s kit and sprayed a bottle with something deep red in it.   
“Blood.”  
“There were no wounds on Julia Bush’s body, nothing that would suggest somebody took her blood. It must be from somebody else.” Sara took a bag for the bottle.   
“There are two more in the fridge.”  
“I go on here, thanks lieutenant.”  
“My pleasure. Let’s see what I find in the bedroom.”  
“The wife of the devil…does he have one?”  
“Don’t know. You’re the geek.”  
“I’ll find out.”  
“Our devil…you know, it’s kind of strange…Julia…the females part of the world’s greatest love couple.”  
“Mickey and Minnie Mouse?”  
“I like it when you’re that professional.” Sofia had to hold back a laughter.   
“You think he saw himself as Romeo? If that’s the case he has to be dead too. They both committed suicide.”  
“Sometimes this little things get forgotten.”  
“Yeah…I love you until the end of your life.”  
“Let’s hope it ends fast because my love isn’t that everlasting…Got a laptop here.”  
“I have interesting books here – I don’t think they are available in an ordinary book shop. It appears like he isn’t sure if he’s a vampire or the devil. I mean the blood in the fridge, that’s a vampire thing, sulfur is more the devil.”  
“He picks the fun parts out of both.”  
“Maybe.”   
“There is some underwear in his bedroom that doesn’t look like his; only if he wears women underwear. In different sizes.”  
“Can you bag it for DNA?”  
“About to do it.” Sofia smiled. She was half a lieutenant, half a CSI. Having the officers in front of the apartment, she had some time for looking around without worrying about the door.   
“Doesn’t the movie say ‘The devil wears Prada’?”  
“Yes.”  
“I think our devil wears not Prada but he buys all his clothes from the same shop. I know the label, it’s from a local shop, specialized in black clothes. I bought there something once for Halloween.” Sofia made a note to go to this shop.  
“He isn’t a big eater, there’s barely any food in the kitchen, only a lot of alcohol.” Sara joined Sofia in the bedroom.   
“A six pack is a meal.”  
“He isn’t drinking beer, it’s more vodka and I found Absinthe.”  
“Bad boy.”  
“It’s legal now. Did you ever try it?”  
“Me?” Sofia grinned. “I’m a lieutenant I don’t drink things like that.”  
“Even you were in college.”  
“It was illegal at that time. I graduated in 2006.”  
“Really? Funny I could swear you were a CSI in 2006.”  
“I was very talented.”  
“Sure.”  
“What about you?”  
“Yes. Not a nice drink. I’ve no desire to drink it again.”  
“I won’t ask when you tried it. Instead I’ll get this back to the case. Can you go on here alone? I’ll knock on some doors.”  
“At two in the morning? People will love you.”  
“I heard from a few apartments music and the TV. This isn’t the area of officer worker who are sleeping because they’ve a nine to five job.”  
“It’s the nightshift area, we’re perfect here. Don’t worry, I’ve an officer here, I’ll be fine.”  
“Won’t be long.” Sofia didn’t like the idea of leaving Sara alone in this apartment. Melissa Conrad was right, something was creepy about Ronald Frame and about his apartment too.   
Sara bagged the clothes Sofia had found after she took some photos. On a shelf were a lot of DVDs. Vampires, violence and action movies. This wasn’t a friendly place at all. She took photos, opened a wardrobe and scream a bit.   
“You’re alright, Sara?” The officer asked from the outside.   
“Yeah, sorry.”  
“What is it?”  
“You won’t believe it.” She stared in the wardrobe.   
“Try me.”  
“A casket.”  
“Empty?”  
“I don’t know…I hope so…” She got her gun out. The casket was all in black with some red and golden lines and the pentagram on deep red on top. The bed of the vampire with symbols of the devil. She was sure this was the highlight of the apartment. The question was, was her suspect in their? Carefully she opened the casket and sighed relieved when it was empty.   
“After midnight, the vampire and the devil are out.”  
“Sara?” The officer asked.  
“When you see a bat it’s him, the casket is empty, Dracula is out.”  
“I can call animal control.”  
“They’ll be delighted.” Sara took some photos and took her flashlight. If this casket was used, there must be hairs. She found a long black one and bagged it. She wondered if Frame got girls in this? Does a vampire share his casket? There wasn’t much space, but she knew weird people had sex everywhere and a casket was a weird place.   
“The neighbor claims he hasn’t seen Frame in a couple of days. Frame is active at night time, most people sit on front of their TV at that time.” Sofia was back. She stopped when she saw what was in the wardrobe and cocked her head. “A casket.”  
“Yeah. A weird place to have a casket, don’t you think?”  
“I think it’s weird to have a casket at all at home. I know some people do actually choose their own casket, but that they keep it at home, that’s new. Must be for his vampire personality. The bed looks like it was used too. He can’t make up his mind what’s better?”  
“You ever tried to have sex in a casket?”  
“No and I really hope neither did you, Sara.” Sofia furrowed her brows. Was there a side of Sara she didn’t know of and she didn’t want to know of?   
“I’m sure he slept in this casket, I found some long black hairs and I’m sure he slept in the bed. I’ll get sheets in, they are full with DNA the way they look. We find the DNA of Julia Bush, we have got something to connect him to her.”  
“You didn’t answer my question.”  
“Do I have to?” Sara smiled. She preferred to leave the lieutenant wondering.   
“No.”  
“Officer Smith, could you start to put all the things I’ve bagged in the car? I’ll get some more and go back to the lap. I think we can use some evidence against this man.”  
“No problem.”   
“Will you go on and talk to the neighbors?” Sara turned to Sofia.   
“No. I’ll go shopping.”  
“Now?”  
“Sara, it’s a black shop, it’s for creatures of the night, they are open from eight to eight and I’m not talking about the dayshift.”  
“If you give me half an hour I’ll join you.”  
“We share a car, I have to get you to the lab first anyway. Can’t be wrong to check in with the others if they’ve anything new.”  
“The Sheriff shouldn’t be there.”  
“I hope so. I’ve Ronald Frame on the broadcast but I doubt he’ll be anywhere around ordinary people. I’ve to check where people like him like to spend their time. Places like that change so often.”  
“Another trip to a dark club?”  
“We’ll make it difficult for him to disappear.”  
“I didn’t see a wallet, license or anything like that. He can leave without coming back. I didn’t see anything valuable here; except for the computer.”  
“I don’t think he’d leave his casket alone.” Sofia said. “The rest might be replaceable, this casket looks like it was made special for him, he won’t leave without it.”  
“What a pity, it will leave without him. I’ll get it in the lab.”  
“Means we’ll sit there with a wood stake and wait for him?”  
“Do you believe in vampires, lieutenant?”  
“No, not really. I thought we should greet him like he’d appreciate it.”  
“I’ll get you some garlic.”  
“I love garlic in my food.”  
“You won’t have a date with our vampire then.”  
“Oh believe me, if I see him, I’ll make him date me; in an interview room. He can have a glass of blood orange juice if he asks nice.”  
“You’re making fun of him.” Sara smirked. “Come on, get the casket out of here.” To their surprise the casket was light, it has to be made of real wood. Having the casket in the car, Sofia’s car was fully loaded. They locked the door of the apartment, left an officer there and drove back to the lab. 

“You missed the Sheriff.” Grissom said when Sara and Sofia came in.   
“Sorry.”   
“And what is that?” He looked at the casket two men carried.  
“For some it’s the last bed for other’s the a small bed and for a vampire the most important place in his eternal life. We found it at Ronald Frame’s apartment.”  
“This man must have a problem with his personality. Can’t make a decision if he wants to be a vampire or the devil.”  
“Talking about the devil…do you know if the devil is married? We couldn’t find an answer to that question.” Sofia grinned.  
“He isn’t married, it’s a sacrament of God. But he has a son.”  
“Whom?”  
“Cain.”  
“I thought Cain and Abel are the children of Adam and Eve.”  
“Yes but the God is the father of Abel while the devil is the father of Cain”  
“Eve was sleeping around? I’m shocked.” Sara giggled.  
“In the bible, do people only have sex with God or the devil or do they actually have sex with each other?” Sofia furrowed her brows.  
“Honey, Adam and Eve couldn’t have sex, they were the only human on earth, there was no priest to make them a real couple and you know, no sex until married.” Sara grinned.   
“I forgot. Anyway our devil or vampire had plenty of sex according to his sheets and all the underwear we found. I doubt the women left their underwear in his apartment because it was so warm.”  
“It’s hot in hell.” Grissom said dryly.   
“How hot?”  
“To quote Luke: So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.‘.“  
“No temperature?”  
“No, no temperature. It’s a place you don’t want to be.”  
“Sounds like Ecklie’s office.” Sara mumbled. “You think they’re twins?”  
“You can ask him when you don’t want to work here anymore.”   
“Knowing Sara she will ask this question before that date.” Sofia sighed.   
“I’ve my temper under control…most times.” And her new goal to stay out of trouble. She couldn’t remember how often she had tried that.   
“Yeah, most times. Come on, we go shopping.”  
“Aren’t you two busy with something else…the case maybe?” Grissom asked.  
“It’s case related. Frame bought all his clothes in the same shop and this shop is open from 8pm to 8am. We’re in the best shopping time for that.”  
“What do I tell Ecklie when he asks for you, Sara?”  
“Tell him there’s nothing in his size and what would suit him.”  
Grissom rolled his eyes. “You’re out collecting evidence. I told him the same when he asked why Sofia can’t go to the apartment alone. I think the amount of evidence tells him what you did there.”  
“I try not bring the whole…midnight collection back.”  
“I appreciate that.”  
“Do you want something? I’m not sure but there are a lot of dark bugs. A new beetle? Maybe there’s deadly beetle or one that’s related to death or the devil.”  
“There are some deadly beetles but I don’t want them. Thank you.”  
Sara grinned. If Ecklie wanted some evidence as a proof she was working, she could bring him some things back…like a wooden stake. 

“All the evidence point to Ronald Frame.” Sofia added a little bit more cream to her coffee. She, Sara and Greg had met after the shift for a coffee. It was after ten in the morning. Again they had to work longer.   
“They flagged the DNA from the underwear and the sheet, we should know by the start of the new shift if it’s from the vic.” Greg had a big strawberry vanilla bagel, a creation you couldn’t get anywhere else than here. He broke off a piece and fed Sara. “You like it?”  
“Strawberry vanilla has something, yes. You can go on feeding me.”  
“For you I do that.”  
“Do you guys have a kind of breakfast date?” Sofia asked amused.  
“Jealous?” Greg countered.   
“No, not at all. I take her home.”  
“She always wins.” Greg sighed. “Why don’t you sleep in my bed, Sara?”  
“Because you would understand that wrong, Greg.”  
“I wouldn’t.”  
“I don’t trust you.”  
“Why?”  
“Let’s say you are not gay enough.”  
“I’m not gay at all.”  
“See, there’s your reason.”  
“Means if I tell you I’m gay you’ll sleep in my bed?”  
“After I’ve seen you in hot kisses with your boyfriend we can talk about that again.” Sara laughed when Greg made a grimace.   
“Some sacrifices are too high.”  
“He’d be so nice in this gay club…with that hair.” Sofia grinned.  
“What are you doing in a gay club? The men won’t be interested in you.”  
“I know, but they look so good…and some are interested in some fun, they just don’t want a relationship…I see you’re getting red, I won’t go on.”   
“And you share your bed with her.” Greg looked shocked at Sara.   
“Yeah but when I’m in her bed there’s no man…maybe we should change that, Sofia. We should invite two men with us, one isn’t enough.”  
“I’m not sure if two can please us, let’s try to find three…”  
“Greg, you’re so red, are you alright?” Sara asked sweet.  
Greg couched. “I believe her when she says things like that.”  
“See, you get your boyfriend and another guy and you can have us both…you think you can please us, Greg?” Sofia cocked her head. This was a game she liked. She liked playing Greg, she liked teasing him. It wasn’t that she wanted to make him feel uncomfortable, but she really liked mocking him, making him flush.  
“Don’t answer her.” Sara put her hand on Gregs. “Stop it Sofia, you’re mean.”  
“I’m just playing.”  
“Don’t play with Greg.”  
“Why not?”  
“You make him embarrassed.”  
“Do I? Greg are you embarrassed?”   
“Don’t answer her.”  
“Are you his lawyer?”  
“If I have to, yes.”  
“So cute. Maybe you should go home with Greg.”  
“Or alone?”  
“Don’t fight.” Greg tried to stop them. He liked it when Sara was protecting him but he didn’t want her to fight with Sofia.   
“We don’t fight, Greggo. We’re teasing each other.” Sara calmed her friend. “We can’t be mad at each other, so close before the big party starts.”  
“I’ll be as old as Sara is…I can start thinking about retirement.” Sofia grinned and got evil eyes from Sara.   
“These four months don’t make you that younger, Sofia.”  
“At the moment I can say I’m in my thirties while you’re in your forties.”  
“You both look absolute stunning and more like early thirties.” Greg said.   
“Thanks Greggo.” Sara kissed his cheek. “I like you.”  
“I should date Greg.”  
“No way!” Greg called out and made Sara laugh.   
“He loves me, Sofia, not you. You’ve to accept that.”  
“Usually guys go for the blonde…”  
“Sorry, I’m more into the brunette with the sexy gap.” Greg smirked.   
“Now he’s talking.” Sofia giggled. “Some more comments like that, Greggo and we’ll take you out with us. You need to be flirty and cheeky and not scared of me.”  
“I’m not scared of you, Sofia.”  
“Then stop acting like you are. Don’t get Sara to stop me from teasing you, tell me to shut the fuck up.”  
“Language please.” Sara rolled her eyes.   
“Sorry grandmother.”  
“I think it’s time to go home.” Sara took the bill. “I’ll pay.”  
“Thanks Sara.”  
“Thanks Honey, I’ll make up to you when we’re home.”  
“Are you going to clean her apartment, Sofia?” Greg grinned.  
“Better.”  
“Oh, you’ll do the laundry too? Sounds like a good deal for Sara. I think I’ll pay your next breakfast and you can do the same for me as you want to do for Sara.”  
“Again the question: Greg, do you think you can satisfied me?”  
“I think I can. You want to try me?” He smirked.   
“Huh, the boy with the crazy hair flirts, I like that. Come on Greggo, time to go home. You can satisfied me another day.”  
“I’ll do that tonight. In the break.”  
“Now that’s something I look forward to.”

“I’ve been looking for you since shift started.” Greg got his arms around Sofia.  
“Huh?” She had made a stop in the lab for a coffee and heads up from Grissom about the evidence.   
“It’s break time I’ll satisfy you know. Come on.” He took her hand.   
“Hold on a second, Greg. What are you doing?”  
“I’ll satisfy you, like I promised you and I know you have been looking forward to this the whole day, you told me so in the morning. Time to do it.” He smiled wide.   
“You forgot it’s Sara you want? The brunette with the sexy gap not the blonde.”  
“What I want to do with you I can’t do with Sara, she wouldn’t like it. But I know you’ll like, you’ll beg me for more and you’ll be thinking of this night for the next few weeks or months.” He pulled her in the locker room and closed the door.   
“Greg, you should think again what you are about to do. I’ll hurt you.”  
“You’ll be so busy, you won’t hurt me. You won’t have the energy for that when I’m done with you.”  
“Greg, I warn you…”  
“Ssshhh, you can make some noise later. In fact, you will make some noise later.” He opened his locker.   
“Greg, I warn you again, I’ll hurt you if you really try to…oh my god!”   
“I knew you’d say that. They all do.”  
“Give it to me! Now!”  
“That’s what they all want.”  
“Stop talking, I want action.”  
“You can have it.” He walked to her and pressed her a huge basket in the arm. The basket was filled with chocolate in different sizes, flavor, brands and color.   
“I love you.”  
“That’s what all women say after I satisfied them. I can see you like it too.”  
“I do. You’re crazy.”  
“Why? I promised you I’d satisfy you. You look very…” He stopped because he had to laugh. Sofia had manage to put a whole small bar of chocolate in her mouth at once. She looked like a hamster.   
“Uhm….sooo good…yes…ooohhh…Greg…” She moaned.   
He raised on eyebrow. “If anybody hears you, they’ll think we do something else in here.”  
“I so don’t care. You did satisfy me…for weeks.”  
“Told you so. You want to go back and work or do you need a minute more?”  
“I need a minute more and a coffee after that.”  
“I’ll take care of the coffee. If you want you can lock the chocolate in my locker and get it out when you go home. You leave it here somebody else will eat it.” He giggled and left her alone.  
“Anybody tries to touch my treasure I’ll shoot without warning.” She put a new bar in her mouth. Caramel and now dark chocolate with white chocolate stripes. She was in heaven. That must have been his present for her birthday.   
Still chewing on her third bar of chocolate she walked back in the break room where Greg was waiting with a cup of coffee.   
“Your own coffee, I can smell the difference. Another treat.”  
“You won’t say that you’re not satisfied after this night with me.”  
“No, I’m absolutely satisfied Greg. You were great.”  
“What?” Sara came in the room. “Did I hear right?”  
“Yes, you did. Greg really satisfied me in the locker room. He was sooo good, you’ve no idea what you’re missing out, Sara. I’m sure he’d do the same for you, or something like that because you won’t like the same way I like it.”  
“What did you guys do? You didn’t do what I think you did, didn’t you?”  
“Oh yes he did. And he was better than anybody before.”  
“I don’t believe it.”  
“Believe me it was amazing, I’m still full…”  
“You had sex in the locker room?”  
“Huh? Who was talking about sex?”  
“What are you talking about?” Sara furrowed her brows.  
“Chocolate. He gave me a huge basket of chocolate. Sooo good.”  
“Why should I have sex with the blonde when I want the brunette?” Greg giggled. “The blonde is too easy to please.”  
“If it comes to chocolate, yes I am. But don’t think I’m easy to please in every other way, Greggo.”  
“I don’t. But I did satisfied you.”  
“Yes. That’s more than most men I met can say.”  
“You are both crazy.”  
“Talking about crazy.” All three turned surprised around. Grissom was behind them. “Sofia, Brass brought the devil in, you may want to ask him some questions.”  
“The devil? Lived?”  
“Ronald Frame. Do you have time for him or shall I tell the Sheriff you’re too busy making Sara think Greg is Don Juan de Marco?”  
“I’m gone.” Sofia jumped up.  
“Hold on.” Grissom stopped her.  
“What?”  
“Take the brunette with you.”  
“Me?” Sara looked surprised. “But it’s…”  
“It’s your case. Don’t worry if the Sheriff has a problem with that I’ll talk to him.” He gave her some files. “The newest DNA results and everything we have so far.”  
“I don’t want you in any trouble. I’m alright with being here.”  
“I’m not. Go with Sofia. As your supervisor and the primary of the case I order you to do so.”  
“Yes Grissom.” Sara felt awkward when she followed Sofia to the interview rooms.   
“Got the wooden stake and the garlic?” The blonde smiled.  
“For the guy or the Sheriff?”  
“It’s alright, Grissom told you to come in. Don’t worry. Let’s get the devil and the Sheriff will be fine.”  
“And if I mess it up he’ll throw me out.”  
“You won’t mess anything up, you never did. Stop talking bullshit. Be a good girl, go in there with me and when we’re done I might share my chocolate with you.”  
“You can’t blackmail me with chocolate.”  
“I’ll make a fruit salad for you – XXL size.”  
Sara smiled a bit. “Deal.”  
“That’s my girl.” Sofia opened the door. A young man with long black hair was sitting at the table, trying to look very bored. He was cuffed.   
“Ronald Frame?” Sofia asked.   
“He’s dead.” The man said.  
“Really?” She sat in front of him. “You look like him.” She put a copy of the Ronald Frame’s drivers license on the table. “Don’t you think? Are you his twin? Unregistered twin.”  
“I drank his blood.”  
“Did you? It wasn’t the blood in your fridge, was it?”  
“You have nothing to do in my apartment.”  
“This warrant says otherwise.” She pulled a warrant over. “We’d have showed it to you but were flew out…not there.”  
“You took my personal belongings, I want them back.”  
“The blood? The sheets? Don’t tell me you wear the underwear we took.” She looked at him. “That wasn’t your size, was it?”  
“I want my bed back.”  
“Your bed is in your apartment, Mister Frame.”  
“Lived.”  
“Ronald, Lived, Devil, Lucifer, whatever you want.”  
“I want my bed back.”  
“I want to be president of the United States. Looks like we all have to accept what we get in life.”  
“Now.” His voice was low and angry.   
“Let’s talk a little bit about you and…” Sofia backed off when Ronald Frame was flying over the table, trying to bite her. With his cuffed hands he wasn’t able to grab her but he was snapping at Sofia.   
“Jesus, I feel like animal control.” She said when the officer, who was in the room grabbed Frame and forced him back on his chair. The officer chained Frame with his hands on the back to the chair and did the same with the feet.   
A look to Sara told Sofia her friend was alright.   
“Now, we could put that under assaulting an officer.”  
“I want my bed back.”  
“If you are talking about the casket, you’ll get it back – if you’re innocent. For the moment it’s in the lab but I can assure you, the scientist who’s working on it is an atheist. A really nice one, it’s special made for you, I assume.”  
“Don’t you dare to touch it.”  
“I carried out of your apartment…did you just hiss at me? It’s vampire night I guess. Officer, we might need some garlic…a cross and…oh look, I wear a cross.” Sofia got her pendant out that happened to be a cross today. Frame’s eyes got narrow.   
“You can’t scare me with that but I promise I’ll bite it away after I drank your blood.”  
“He’s threatening me. Did you drink the blood of Julia Bush too?”  
“Who?”  
“Julia Bush, your date…last weekend…three nights ago.”  
“I don’t know a Julia.”  
“You were seen with her, she left the club with you and two hours later she’s very dead.”  
“Somebody drank her blood?”  
“No.”  
“It wasn’t me.”  
“After you tried to bite me and hissed at me I’m tempted not to believe you.”  
“How do you explain her DNA in your bed?” Sara asked. She was looking through the files Grissom has given to her.   
“We fucked. So what? I fuck a lot of girls.”  
“None is happy with you, huh?” Sofia grinned. “Guess they don’t like to sleep in a casket, too narrow, too…uncomfortable.”  
“You’ll pay for not believing.”  
“He sounds like my grandmother when I skipped Sunday school. Tell me where you and your date went after you left the club.”  
“I flew home.”  
“You flew?”  
“Yes.”  
“Do you have a helicopter?”  
“Tell your slave to make my arms free and I’ll show you how I fly.”  
“I’m afraid is this a no-fly zone. We had last week a collation with an Airbus A 380 and new Boing Dreamliner in the hallway, people got really pissed of because they couldn’t use their Thunderbolt anymore. Sorry, we all have to walk again.”  
“You’ll be very sorry for that.”  
“Oh I was. My own private jet couldn’t land here.” She shook her head. “Back to reality, Space Rider. You and Julia Bush. What did you do after you left the club?”  
“Bite me.”  
“You’d enjoy that too much.”  
“I’d enjoy to bite you…suck the life out of you and give a new life back to you.”  
“Oh please, I did watch ‘Interview with a vampire’, safe the movie things, please. Julia Bush.”  
“Was a nobody.”  
“Why did you kill her?”  
“I didn’t.”  
“When I look at your fingerprints you left on the table and the one we found at the scene, they look the same.” Sara had lifted a fingerprint from Ronald Frame after he was cuffed to the chair. Comparing this one to the unknown one from the bridge, she got a match.   
“I don’t leave fingerprints.”  
“And you become dust when the sunlight hits you, I know. Listen, the lieutenant is patient, I am not. You can talk to us, try to safe your ass and get your casket back or we’ll get you for killing Julia Bush and you’ll sleep the next twenty-five to life in a cell without a cozy casket. Being immortal a conviction until the end of your life will be very long. Nobody will care that you died already.   
So you want to go on and play vampire? Or the devil, as you want to suggest with your latest name, Lived. You’re very creative, Ronald. So am I when it comes to evidence. You have no idea what I can do with all the stuff from your apartment. Not only can I find out the names of all women and men you had sex with in your bed, casket or the carpet I can also order a huge saw and make sawdust out of it.”  
“You’ll die if you do that.”  
“I’ll die anyway, nobody will live forever and I don’t want to live forever. Julia Bush.”  
“The bitch got what she deserved.”  
“What? Death.”  
“She wanted to fly, I told her she can do it she let me make her immortal. I told her I’ve the stuff that makes you immortal, makes you fly, she didn’t want to take it.”  
“You think you bite somebody and this person becomes immortal? Turns into a vampire and flies around like a bat?”  
“I don’t do that with a bite. I become one with her, she takes me in her and I give her all I have.”  
“That’s an interesting way to get a woman in your bed. So she didn’t want sex with you? I bet your weren’t happy with that.” Sofia said.   
“She didn’t want to be immortal.”  
“So you showed her how it is to be mortal and pushed her from the bridge. She fought, didn’t she?”  
“They all do but nobody is stronger than me. He is in me, he makes me strong, immortal.”  
“Who is he? The father of Cain?”  
“He’s the biggest power, he can kill you all. He’s stronger than that what you call God. He’s power is endlessly and he knows no mercy.”  
“Sounds like me math teacher. I survived him, hell can’t be that bad.”  
“You make jokes but you’ll regret that later.”  
“Again my grandmother told me the same. I wonder if Julia made jokes and you made her regret.”  
“She said no, she had to pay.”  
“You killed her because she didn’t want to sleep with you?”  
“She was in no position to deny my demand. Nobody is in that position. He is in me, I’ve to give the commands.”  
“There’s always somebody stronger than you.”  
“Only He is stronger and He’s pleased with what I do. I’m His slave, His son, His servant and I do whatever pleases Him.”  
“Why didn’t you bite her and drank her blood? Or were too much a devil to so what a good vampire does?”  
“She wasn’t worth it. She was garbage and garbage has to be disposed.”  
“The DA will do the same with you. He’ll charge you with murder. If we find out the blood in your fridge belongs to dead people you’ll be a long, long time in another kind of hell. Until somebody shows you how mortal you are and kills you with a needle.” Sofia got up. She got all she needed. She had the killer of Julia Bush. And she didn’t feel like wasting any more time on him. She could go to the Sheriff now and tell him, the killer of his niece was in custody. She was sure the Sheriff would arrange all the other things. And she was sure there was no mercy for this man in Nevada. 

Part 3

Having a night off was a reason to celebrate, having the night of your birthday off were two reason to celebrate and having a lot of friends around was a party.  
Sofia had all these three things on her birthday. Because of the nightshift, she had started her party in the late afternoon, giving everybody the chance to join it before they had to go to work.   
“You look beautiful.” Greg said.   
“Thanks.”  
”I can see a wrinkle…look, there…next to the left eye…my god, it’s deep! Like the Grand Can…ouch.” Sara hold her shoulder she got punched by Sofia. The brunette hadn’t left Sofia side the whole day. When they finished work in the morning Sara had invited her to breakfast and a massage in a spa. Relaxed and with smooth muscles they drove to Sofia’s apartment and had a few hours of sleep before the party started.   
“One more sentence like that and I’ll make you feel what real pain is.”  
“They get grumpy when they’re old.””  
“You must know, you’re older.”  
“Wiser.”  
“Smart-ass.”  
“Can’t you even on Sofia’s birthday stop teasing each other?” Greg sighed.  
“No, we like to have fun.” Sofia blinked at Sara. “Want some champagne? We both don’t work tonight.”  
“I’ll get it.” Sara smiled and walked away.   
“Getting spoiled is one of the best things of having birthday.”  
“As far as I know she started with spoiling you right after work. Spa and massage.”  
“Yeah, that was great but did she also tell you what she did after these two things?”  
“She joined you in your bed?” Greg guessed with a grin.   
“No, she slept on the couch. I didn’t want her in my bed.”  
“How comes?”  
“She had this great chocolate cake, with chocolate cream and cherries and instead of giving me a huge piece for breakfast, she threw the whole cake in my face! I was covered in chocolate and cream. On top of that she took a photo of me.”  
“Sounds like a delicious fun. I’m sure you looked wonderful with all these chocolate all over your face.”  
“I had to clean myself without wasting any of the cake. It was very delicious and I couldn’t bear to take a shower and wash everything away.”  
“One call I’d have help you cleaning you.”  
“Really, Greggo?”  
“Yes. A hot blonde in chocolate, a dream of a lot of men.”  
“The cake was in the face not all over my body.”  
“I’m sure there was some cake left to cover the rest of your body in it.”  
“Not, it wasn’t such a big cake. Although it made me look younger.”  
“I can assure you, you don’t look a day older.” Jim grinned when he joined her.   
“Thanks.”  
“I hope the next reason to celebrate is because you’re a captain. You can do it within the next few years, Sofia.”  
“Fulfilling a dream of my mother.”  
“What about you? It’s not your dream?”  
“No. In my dream I’m the chief of the police.”  
“You’ve got a place for an retired homicide captain when you’re chief of police?”  
“I’m sure.” She laughed. “You won’t end up as a mall cop.”  
“I’ll remind you on that…Marie, your daughter wants to be the chief of police.” He said to Sofia’s mother was walked by.  
“Well, she can do it if she works hard. Means more police work and less sitting around with the CSI.”  
“Mom, I don’t sit around with the CSI, I work with them and I happen to know some of their work. It’s nothing bad, it’s an advantage.”  
“Nobody makes you chief of police because you can lift a fingerprint.”  
“Don’t argue with your mother, Sofia.” Sara handed her friend a glass of champagne. “The captain and you don’t agree on the CSI topic.”  
“It’s nothing against you or your professional, Sara. It’s just that it’s not Sofia’s job and she might get problems if she doesn’t focus on her job.”  
“She does a great job as a lieutenant and she’s a real help at the scene. I never have to worry if she destroys any evidence because she’d rather bag it than step on it. And I don’t think her captain minds the way she’s working.” Sara looked at Jim.  
“Not at all. I can’t complain about anything.”  
“If she gives you a reason tell me, I’ll tell her off.”  
“Mother!”  
“What? That’s what a mother is for.”  
“You’ll get uninvited for the next party if you go on like this.”  
“Come on Marie, we’ll let Sofia talk to her captain.” Sara took the arm of the female captain and pulled her away from Sofia. Being a friend of Sofia for this long she had learnt how to handle captain Curtis and both were very friendly. Sara liked Sofia’s mother and Sofia’s mother was very fond of Sara.   
“I wonder if she ever stops embarrassing me, telling me what to do and pretending that I’m a baby.”  
“According to my daughter I haven’t done that to her.” Jim sighed. “Parents can’t help.”  
“Do you think I need my mother to make sure my life is alright?”  
“No. But as a parent you see that different. You’ll find out when you’re a mother.”  
“I won’t be like my mother…I guess that’s what everybody says.”  
“I promised myself I wouldn’t end up like my dad and I did. I lost my family because of the job and personal weakness. We are a part of our parents, that doesn’t mean we’ll like them but if we’re not careful we’ll end up like them. Especially when we watch them as a child making all the mistakes. One day don’t think anymore it’s wrong, you think it’s ordinary. And then you’ll be like your parents.”  
“If I become like her please warn me, will you?”  
“I will.” He laughed.   
“Thanks.”  
“Chocolate?” Greg hold a flower in front of Sofia’s face.  
“It’s a flower Greg, not chocolate.”  
“Try it.”  
“Is this a kind of practical joke?”  
“I wouldn’t dare to do that to you. Try it.”  
Skeptical Sofia took the flower and bit in the blossom. The red blossom melted on her tongue.   
“Mhm, what’s that?”  
“That’s a chocolate flower. I found it in a shop. They use food coloring and extremely thin chocolate to create this flower. I saw it and I knew it’s better than an ordinary flower.”  
“You gave me enough the other night.”  
“It was all to satisfied you.” He chuckled.   
“You guys have something going on I don’t know about?” Jim asked.  
“No, it’s sounds interesting but all Greg does was giving me a basket full of chocolate. I can say no other man made me that happy in a long, long time.”  
“Your favorite present?”  
“So far Greg, you’re far ahead.”  
“Who’s next?”  
“I can tell who is not. My mother with a framed photo of me as a four year old and an ugly vase she inherited from my grandmother and gave it now to me.”  
“Yuck…but I’d like to see the photo.”  
“I put it away; far away.”  
“I bet you were a cute child.”  
“I get better with each year.”  
“Like a good wine.”  
“Yes.”  
“What did Sara give to you? Am I ahead of her?”  
“Nothing.”  
“Nothing? That’s miserly. She should give you something, she’s your friend. Best friend.”  
“Tell her.”  
“Tell me what?” Sara was back and to Sofia’s relief without her mother.  
“Her birthday gift. You can’t just give her nothing.”  
“I can’t? Why? There was no note on the invitation that you have to bring a gift.”  
“It’s common knowledge. Even when they write you’re not supposed to bring a gift they still expect you to bring one.”  
“I don’t do strange things like that…it’s too late now anyway. Can I make up with a dance?”  
“That’s a cheap way out.” Sofia laughed. “I’ll get you for dinner next time too.”  
“Deal.” Sara took Sofia’s hand and pulled her to the dance floor.   
“You know you don’t have to give me anything, do you?” Sofia asked when they were dancing. “I’m happy with you as my friend that’s all I want.”  
“Really?”  
“Yes. A best friend is better than anything else.”  
“No chance to get anything better?”  
“I don’t think so.”  
“Think harder.”  
“What do you mean?” Sofia looked suspicious at Sara, who leant closer, so that her lips almost touched Sofia’s ear.   
“Do you want to marry me, Sofia?”  
“What? Are you kidding?”  
“We’re both forty.”  
“Are you serious?”  
“Yes I am. All I need is an answer.”  
“I do.” Sofia laughed. They hadn’t talked about that topic for a long time. Precisely they stopped joking about that when Sara turned forty. It was like a unspoken ‘no-no’ they tried to avoid without avoiding it. Both started to think it was only a joke and none of them wanted to put some pressure on the other one. Mention it the whole time would have made it more like a stupid test of courage and not a fun it was supposed to be.  
“You tell my mom!” Sofia giggled. Oh that would be a great shock. She needed a camera to get a photo of the face of the captain.   
“I’m your CSI, you’ve to take care of me, no matter if the attacker is a vampire, a burglar or your mom.”  
“Yeah, yeah.” Sofia pulled Sara to her mother, who was standing with Jim at the bar.   
“Mom, Sara has to tell you something.” Sofia pushed Sara in front.   
“What is it, dear?”  
“I asked Sofia to marry me and she agreed.”  
“You girls had too much alcohol. I tell you Jim, no matter if sixteen, twenty-one or forty, they don’t learn.”  
“We are serious.” Sara tried it again.  
“So was I when I told Sofia I’d kill her if she’d ever touch alcohol again after she came home drunk when she was sixteen. She’s still alive and had alcohol.”  
“Mom, we made the plan to get married over two years ago…”  
“At that time you had this bartender…”  
“That wasn’t that long ago. We made the plan when we were in Waikiki.” Sofia sighed. Her mother didn’t believe her.   
“Jim, she won’t be a captain, she has a mental disease.”  
“A normal mom is happy when her only daughter wants to get married.”   
“You can’t marry Sara it’s illegal. Now stop drinking alcohol and get yourself some water, Honey.” Marie petted Sofia’s arm.   
“When do you want to get married?” Jim asked interested.   
“As soon as you and Grissom give us two weeks off. We want to have our honeymoon in Paris. And I know we can’t get married here, mom. We’ll get a wedding in one of the chapel and…it’s legal for us to get real married in Amsterdam…” She looked at Sara. “I mean…we could…we would be allowed…”  
“You looked it up.” Sara smiled.  
“Yeah.” Obviously embarrassed the blonde lowered her head. “I know we didn’t talk about this for a few months but I did think of it. I didn’t want to put any pressure on you, after all I came more or less up with this idea…”  
“I told you I’d marry you, it wasn’t all your idea.”  
“Yeah, but….I don’t know. I thought maybe it was all a joke.”  
“Usually we keep promises we give each other, don’t we?” Sara cocked her head.  
“Yes we do.” Sofia smiled. She knew she could rely on Sara. No matter what it was about but she didn’t want to force her friend. “But we can get a wedding dress for us and without getting married.”  
“Would it be the same for you? Pretending to be a bride without being in a chapel?”  
“It’s what you do when you’re a child…No, it wouldn’t be the same.”  
“Two stunning dresses, two stunning women, a priest, a kept promise.” Sara smirked.   
“Yes. You’re right.” Sofia smiled.   
“Damn it, you are serious.” Sofia’s mother got her hands in her sides. “Sofia Curtis, do you know what you are talking about?”  
“Yeah, I think you’ve to call me the next time Sofia Curtis Sidle. Or Sofia Sidle Curtis? I haven’t thought of that.”  
“Jim! She lost her mind.”  
“She might have lost her mind but she got a hot brunette for that.”  
“You can’t encourage them!”  
“Why not?”  
“Because…it’s wrong.”  
“Oh come on, Marie. Let them have the fun.”  
“Fun? They want to get married.”  
“And? They are best friends, they love each other. How many couples get married in Vegas who are not friends and don’t love each other? I think their marriage will keep longer than most of these drive through weddings. There’ll always be their friendship that will keep them together. And they’ll look beautiful in their wedding dresses.”  
“They will.” Marie got her hands in her face and rubbed it. “I assume I can’t change your mind?”  
“No mom, you can’t.” Sofia grinned. She knew when her mother started like that she had won and the captain didn’t mind what she was about to do. Not that she would her mother make her stop.   
“When do you want to get married?”  
“Like I said, as soon as Jim and Grissom give us two weeks off.”  
“Hey Gil, we need you here! Urgent!” Jim yelled over to Grissom. He wasn’t the last who would let Sara and Sofia wait. He thought the whole idea was funny.   
“What is it?”  
“These two ladies need two weeks off.”  
“I was wondering when they’d ask for their holidays. Where do you want to go this time? Asia? Africa?”  
“Amsterdam.” Sara said.  
“Paris.” Sofia added  
“Prague.” Sara finished and laughed. They had never talked about these destinations, only Paris was mentioned once by Sofia as a dream destination for her honeymoon one day.   
“A Europe trip? Interesting.”  
“You call it Europe trip, they call it honeymoon.” Jim chuckled.  
“What?”  
“Honeymoon, that’s when…oh come on, Gil, you know what a honeymoon is…”  
“Of course I do but why…?”  
“Sara had asked me to marry her.” Sofia grinned. “How could I refuse this wish? After all we promised us we’d marry each other if there are no suitable men in our lives and we’re forty. There are none, so we have to get married without men.”  
“You are serious about that?”  
“They are, that’s the bad thing about it.” Marie sighed.  
“In that case, congratulations to you. When would you like to go on holi…honeymoon?”  
“How much did you plan?” Sara asked Sofia.  
“Nothing really. You?”  
“Same. Four weeks?”  
“Yeah, that should be fine. In four weeks, a wedding in a chapel, a flight to Amsterdam, one to Paris and one to Prague before we come back to Vegas – after a wedding in Amsterdam too…we need only a few documents…”  
“I know.” Sara grinned. “We need them translated I know where we can do that.”  
“Perfect…”  
“You two are prepared.” Jim was amused.   
“In some things, yes.” Sofia laughed.   
“In that case, I’m fine with you leaving for two weeks in four weeks. Gil?”  
“What god brings together let no man separate. I hope we’re invited.”  
“Of course…will there be any problems at work if we do that?” Sofia asked.   
“You’re not a CSI anymore. And it won’t be legal, you’re not really married for our system. If you want Jim and me can make sure you’re not on the same case anymore but I doubt you really want that.”  
“No, we don’t.”  
“In that case it should be alright.”  
“We’ll get married.” Sara laughed. That was crazy but sometimes you needed to do something crazy to keep life funny and worth living. 

“Hey Greggo, what’s up?” Sara had waited for Greg for ten minutes. They had an appointment for a breakfast and the young CSI was late.   
“Sorry, Ecklie caught me before I could leave.”  
“I’m sorry for you.” She smiled.   
“Does he know that you’ll get married?”  
“Is it his business?”  
“Well…I guess you have to inform him…”  
“I can do that after the wedding.”  
“You are really serious about that, aren’t you?” Greg asked concerned.   
Sara waiting until he got his breakfast before she answered.   
“Yes I am.”  
“Do you love Sofia?”  
“I do love her, but I don’t love her like I would love a husband. It’s different. Another kind of love.”  
“But why are you getting married? I mean, only to wear this dress? You can buy one and wear it whenever you want.”  
“Are you trying to talk me out of my wedding, Greg?” Sara cocked her head.  
“No…I…I don’t know. It’s so weird…somehow…”  
“Is it weird because I get married or because it’s Sofia?”  
“Both…I thought you’re anti-wedding.”  
“I’m not anti wedding, I’m anti stupid. Okay, some people would call it stupid what’re about to do but it’s fun. And it’s not the same to wear the dress at home in front of the mirror. You need a chapel.”  
“What happen if you meet somebody who you really love?”  
“As far as I know you can get divorced after a wedding.”  
“You sure Sofia will agree on that?”  
“It’s the deal. We’ve always said, when we get married it will be a marriage as long as we both want it. If somebody meets Mister Right, we’ll get divorced.”  
“Okay.”  
Stop trying to talk me out of it, Greg. Otherwise I can’t ask you what I wanted to ask.”  
“What’s that?”  
“I’d like to have you as my groomsman – if you like to do that.”  
“What? Are you serious?”  
“As serious as I am about this wedding. I’d love to have you by my side.”  
“I’m yours.”  
Sara cocked her head and grinned.   
“I mean.” Greg flushed a little bit. “I’m your groomsman.”   
“Thanks.”  
“You know, you could have me as a husband. Don’t marry her, have me! Wouldn’t that be a better wedding picture? You in a white dress next to a man in a black suit.”  
“The problem is, Greg, you’d take it serious.”  
“You take the wedding serious too…you’re having a honeymoon.”  
“Of course.”  
“Will you have sex with Sofia?”  
“I beg your pardon?” Sara laughed.  
“Well, you’re married, it’s a honeymoon, a wedding night…”  
“See that’s why I don’t marry you.”  
“It belongs to a wedding.”  
“You’d like to be in my shoes, Greg?”  
“No, in Sofias.” He grinned. “I’ve to offer her a lot of chocolate that she lets me marry you.”  
“What are doing when I won’t agree? There’s the chance that I might say ‘no’ to you.”  
“You’d do that to me?”  
“Yes I would.”  
“Ouch.”   
“Maybe I should ask somebody else to be the groomsman, I’m not sure you’ll give the ring to me or will try to put it on my finger.”  
“No, Sofia would kill me if I do that. Same if I’d dare to say something against your wedding.”  
“Not only Sofia would kill you.”  
“I get it. But you do move together in a big house, don’t you?”  
“Yes, we’ll do that.”  
“You’re going to share a bedroom?”  
“No.” Sara chuckled. “We’ll have our own bedrooms.”  
“What kind of marriage is that?”  
“A happy one. A lot of couples don’t share a bedroom.”  
“Does she snore?”  
“No.” Sara tried hard not to laugh. “Why?”  
“Just wondering. I mean you share a bed now, why not when you’re married? Would make more sense.”  
“We share a bed now when one of us sleeps at the other’s place and we’re too tired or lazy to change the couch into a bed. When we live in the same house there’ll be two beds, no need to share one.”  
“And you want children.”  
“Sofia wants. Yes.”  
“You don’t want children? That sounds like a fight in the marriage.”  
“I don’t want to get pregnant. If she wants to be pregnant and give birth to a child or two I’ll support her. Not because we’ll married but because we’re friends. Friends to support each other. If I can help her to make a dream come true, I’ll do that. I’m sure you’d the same for her.”  
“She needs a father for her child?” He grinned leer.   
“Do you think you can satisfy her?”  
“She doesn’t have to be satisfied to get pregnant, I’ve to. And yes, I know I can satisfy her. I did it on her birthday.”  
“I think she’ll go to a clinic.”  
“No fun allowed. A wedding, a house and children, are you sure you want that?”  
“I think there are worse things in life, don’t you think?”  
“It doesn’t sound like you…what happened to my old Sara?”  
“Your old Sara is old, that’s what happened.”   
“No, my Sara isn’t old, she can’t. She looks so young and beautiful.”  
“Greg.” Sara took his hand. “Believe it’s not an idea I had out of the blue. Sofia and me were talking about that since Waikiki, we are aware of what we are about to do. We know the responsibilities we take. We know the child or the children will be there for the rest of our life. We’ll both be the legal guardians for them.”  
“You can’t adopt children, can you?”  
“Not in Nevada.”  
“Can you get married here?”  
“The state won’t recognize it but that doesn’t matter. It’s a thing we do for us, no matter if the state or the country like it or not.”  
“It should be legal, it doesn’t matter who marries whom, it’s about love.”  
“A lot of people think different. But hey, if I meet Mister Right later, I’ll get married in a church…”  
“I really doubt that you’ll get married twice, Sara. This one time is already a wonder.”  
“You’re right probably.” Sara smiled. “You do come with me choosing a ring for Sofia?”  
“You want me there? Shouldn’t you take her?”  
“No, we want to surprise each other with the ring. Wanna come with me?”  
“Sure, it’s my job to take care of the rings.”  
“It is. You’ll look so cute in your black suit.”  
“You’ll change your mind and marry me, that’s my plan.”  
“Thought so.” Sara smirked. She was happy that Greg wanted to be her groomsman and that she had his support. 

“My future wife, how did you sleep?” Sara came in her living room where Sofia was sitting on the sofa, reading a science magazine.  
“Wonderful. And you?”  
“Perfect. What are you reading?”  
“An article about DNA..I think I do miss the lab a bit.”  
“You can take them home if you want?”  
“Why? We’ll share a house soon. I’ll have everything around.”  
“That’s true.” Sara laughed, got two cups of coffee and came with it to the sofa. She handed one cup to Sofia and sat next to her friend.   
“Want to look for a house? I’ve the paper here.”  
“Sure.” Sofia took a sip of her coffee.  
Sara got the newspaper from under the table and opened the page with the houses to rent.   
“Six bedrooms is a little bit too big.” She grinned.  
“The area of the second isn’t nice.”  
“I want a garden for the kid.”  
“Too expensive.”  
“Quiet people…they don’t want children.”  
“Exciting neighborhood…great burglars, hookers, everything a child needs.”  
“Four bedrooms…is that enough?” Sara asked.   
“We need two bedrooms for us and well, do we want more than two children?”  
“Sofia, you’re the one who’ll give birth to them.”  
“Two are enough. I want IV and not more than two ovum implant. The world doesn’t need another mother with eight babies. I prefer to give it one or two tries more than ending up with eight babies.”  
“I like it when you’re sensible.”  
“You’re fine with two? I mean, you’ll be the legal guardian…”  
“I told you, I’m fine with two. One is lonely, two is good.”  
“In that case four bedrooms are enough when we have a living room…do we need to learn cooking?”  
“You mean like healthy meals for kids? I’m sure they’ll be fine with your steak and my salad.”  
“Okay, but we’ll go to some birth courses, don’t we?”  
“We will. Both. I’ll won’t let you alone.”  
“That’s why I marry you and not a man.” Sofia grinned and hugged Sara.   
“Means, to come back to our house search, we’ll look for a four bedroom house. When do you want to start trying to get pregnant?”  
“Well, after the honeymoon, I want to drink wine with you in France. Do we start to move in our new place ASAP?”  
“Yes. I’d say we’ll look for a house we can move in after we’re back.”  
“In that case I’d like to have the first try in four months, when we’re back, are done with our new place and had some time to enjoy the house. If you agree.”  
“I do.” Sara smiled. “You want a boy or a girl?”  
“Both. First a boy, they’re easier to handle…says my aunt and she has four boys and one girl. She says, the boys don’t need as much attention as one girl…I don’t want a baby bitch.”  
“She’ll be your daughter, she won’t have…ouch…” Sara hold her shoulder.   
“Think again, Miss Sidle…Misses Sidles – Curtis? Sara Curtis – Sidle?”  
“I’ll keep my name.”  
“Means I’ve to take yours.”  
“Sofia Sidle? Lieutenant Sidle…captain Sidle…I can’t help it, Sofia, nothing sounds as good as detective Curtis.”  
I won’t be a detective again, no way. You’ll love Chief Curtis.”  
“C.C., yeah that’s good.” Sara leant back.   
Sofia put the newspaper aside.   
“Sara, can I ask you something?”  
“Sure.”  
“You’re free to say no without an explanation and you don’t have to answer right away, okay?”  
“Okay.” Sara cocked her head. “What is it. Sofia?”  
“About the child…it will be our child, won’t it?”  
“Well, it’s more yours because you’ll give birth to it, I’ll be only the legal guardian if something happens to you – don’t you dare to let anything happen to you!”  
“I’ll try not to.”  
“Good.”  
“But I didn’t mean that. I’d love to be the child also yours, you know, like we had made it together.”  
“I don’t have to tell you that’s impossible.”  
“Beside the fact you told me years ago you don’t want to have sex with me – which I haven’t forgiven you, nobody ever complained about me – there’d be a way that we could have a child together.”  
“How?”  
“I’d like to have an ovum of you.”  
“What?”  
“Like I said you don’t have to give me an explanation or say something now. I just thought if I get two, I take one from you and one from me and we’ll see who’ll win. If I have your ovum in me it’s like giving birth to your baby.”  
“It’s like you’re my surrogate mother.”  
“You wouldn’t see me as that.”  
“Would you see yourself as one?”  
“No. Why should I? I asked you for it. It’s supposed to be our child and if your ovum ‘wins’ I’ll have the next try with mine. This way we’ve two children and our DNA is in one of them.”  
“You thought of that for a long time, didn’t you?”  
“Two whole nights…days…”  
“I promise I’ll think about it. I’m honored that you want an ovum of me, but I’m not sure if I’d feel good because it’s kind like I used you.”  
“You won’t use me. But yes, think about it, it’s a topic we can talk about again in a few weeks, there are other things coming up first.”  
“Like a wedding?” Sara smiled.  
“Like a wedding.” Sofia got her arm around Sara and hugged her. “Our wedding.”


End file.
